14 DAY TRIAL // The release of the first upgrade for Windows Server 2008 R2 also impacts customers running the platform’s hypervisor role. In fact, this is perhaps an understatement, considering that Windows Server 2008 R2 received the most consistent changes with the advent of Service Pack 1, including two new features.
Both additions to Windows Server 2008 R2 enable sophisticated desktop virtualization capabilities, according to Michael Kleef, Senior Technical Product Manager with the Windows Server and Cloud division.
The introduction of Dynamic Memory and RemoteFX is also reflected in the evolution of the Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V Component Architecture documentation, now with that the operating system was upgraded to SP1.
According to the Redmond company, the documentation is designed to focus on areas such as architecture, snapshots, live migration, virtual networking, and storage.
Now that SP1 RTM is also available, the poster offered by the software giant has been updated with RemoteFX and Dynamic Memory references.
With Dynamic Memory, customers leveraging Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V SP1 will be able to increase their consolidation/VM density ratios. Essentially, this new feature provides memory management capabilities in the context of Hyper-V assets.
Dynamic Memory can be used to increase virtual machine density without needing to expand any existing resources. The promise from Microsoft is that the increase in density will not have an impact on performance.
Remote FX, also introduced with SP1, is a feature designed to enable next-generation rich media and 3D user experiences in VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) scenarios.
The Redmond company notes that new low cost ultra-thin client devices are possible now that RemoteFX can be leveraged to virtualize the Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) on the server side.
As of February 16th, 2011, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 RTM is available for download to MSDN and TechNet subscribers with general availability set for February 22nd.